1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to surgical handpieces, and specifically to a drive shaft for a surgical handpiece.
2. Related Art
Elongate surgical cutting tools have been used in performing closed surgery, such as endoscopic surgery, i.e. arthroscopic surgery. A drive tang on an inner member of the cutting tool is adapted to be driven via a drive shaft of a surgical hand piece that is coupled to the cutting tool. Currently, these drive shafts utilize a symmetrical drive fork design. The drive fork includes a fixed width slot, which is located along the axis of the drive shaft and centered around the same. The two prongs created by slotting the drive shaft are symmetrical and incorporate tapered and rounded ends. These ends facilitate engagement of the drive shaft with the drive tang such that the drive tang is inserted into the slot between the prongs and subsequently held by the prongs during operation of the handpiece. However, if the drive tang is not aligned with the slot, full engagement of the drive tang and the drive shaft fails to occur. In addition, due to this misalignment, damage may occur to the drive tang by the operator unknowingly attempting to force the drive tang into the handpiece.
Therefore, a drive shaft that allows for improved engagement between the drive tang and the handpiece is needed.